Family sues Howard County after autistic man fatally shot by police in Columbia

The family of Alex LaMorie, a 25-year-old autistic man from Columbia, has filed a federal lawsuit against Howard County and three police officers involved in his fatal shooting earlier this year, FOX45 Baltimore and The Baltimore Banner reported.

On March 1, police responded to a call from LaMorie reporting harassment and blackmail. When officers arrived at Patuxent Commons, a housing complex for adults with autism and disabilities, they encountered LaMorie holding a kitchen knife. Despite multiple commands to drop the knife, he approached the officers and was shot and killed at the scene.

The lawsuit alleges that the officers violated LaMorie's rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. It also claims wrongful death, negligence, and gross negligence. The family is represented by Baltimore and Crofton law firms and seeks accountability and changes in how police respond to disability-related mental health crises.

According to the lawsuit, the police department and officers should have recognized LaMorie's disability-related crisis and responded with specialized crisis intervention rather than lethal force. Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown previously announced no charges would be filed in the case.

The family described the shooting as a preventable tragedy that has caused lasting trauma and grief, emphasizing the lawsuit as a means to pursue justice and systemic change in Howard County's law enforcement practices.